Fandom is the New Moulin Rouge

In this art series, Rob examines similarities of the French Impressionist Movement of the 1870s and 1880s, to the fan art movement popularized at conventions today. As with French impressionists, fan artists faced opposition from the conventional art community. Yet fan artists, as impressionists, focus on contemporary images people see in their everyday lives.

At the Moulin Rouge, impressionist artists and festivities mixed in an opulent spectacle. For fan artists, conventions and cosplay are the new Moulin Rouge. Fandom is the modern spectacle where artists and festivities merge. To highlight these similarities, Rob blends impressionist techniques inspired by Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. In this series, Rob captures images of cosplayers to tell their vibrant story.